Release the CookBooks

Laura of I'm an Organizing Junkie ran a post last week about Releasing the Cook Books that met with a bit of adversity, quite a bit actually. I've thought about this all week and read the comments pro and con and then finally decided to put my 2 cents in.

My brother gives me a specialty cookbook ever year for my birthday and Christmas. I also have the all the generational family hand me downs as well as my impulse buys from bookstores and all the cookbooklets from the different manufacturers over the years that I have collected from antique stores, etc... you get the picture, I have a ton of cook books. Anyway, the first thing I do when I get a new cookbook is sit down, read it from cover to cover and use one of those little 3M tabs to mark the ones I want to try and/or modify (I have a color code system that also includes the category "MUST TRY YESTERDAY" because it is so alluring). Once I have tried and or modified a recipe and decided if it is a keeper or not I then either post it to my blog or into my computer cookbook. I then 'recycle' the cookbook through a pay it forward or VFW rummage sale. I do have those pretty ones that are wonderful references that will never leave my bookshelf, which is vast, but you CAN'T keep them all and why would you want to if you don't use them?? So, after that long wind, I agree with you Laura! I'm extremely organized and one of the best ways of accomplishing that is to simplify! I am saying it with you, Laura RELEASE THE COOKBOOKS!
final blog signature.

11 comments:

Heather said...

i am going to go check out her blog and read more about this!

Barbara said...

I don't keep cookbooks if I'm not making things from them... There are about 12-15 that have a permanent home in my kitchen, because I use them that often. However, I also have a bunch of topical ones that live in the pantry in the basement but are referenced several times a year. For instance, my Williams Sonoma Soup for Dinner comes up to live in my kitchen during the winter, but retires to the basement for the summer... My cookbooks are kinda like the snowbirds who go to Orlando every winter... they migrate... ;)

threesidesofcrazy said...

LOL I love the snowbird reference. Fortunately my kitchen is large enough for a nice bookshelf for the 3 dozen or so that will always live at my house, but yeah sometimes they just have to go if I don't find any interest in them.

Mississippi Songbird said...

I'm going to read about it too. What a great idea. I have so many.I buy the ones from the local churches when they have their fundraisers.So many good recipes..
Thanks for the link and the idea.. Bunches of hugs...

Sandra said...

Nope, sorry but I love all my cookbooks and actually look through them constantly, so I'm not getting rid of mine LOL

Grateful Gramma said...

I read that post too and I had to restrain myself from responding, "Release them in my direction!"

I have several hundred cookbooks and I can't even cook. What's wrong with this picture? Ah, but hope springs eternal.....

Kathaleeny said...

NO. No! NOOOOOOOooooooo.

My blood pressure just spiked at the thought of it.

SoBella Creations said...

I hardly have any cookbooks. I find most of my recipes on the internet.

Joyce said...

I 'release' my cook books, too, Tamy. :P

Forgetfulone said...

You are extremely organized with your cookbooks and recipes. I don't enjoy cooking enough to put that much effort into it. I usually just "wing it" instead of using a recipe except for recipes I find online (like the ones at your blog). I have one binder with recipes and such that I will probably always keep.

threesidesofcrazy said...

Thanks, I love to cook and have a "feel" for it thanks to my grandmother. I'm blessed that I can wing it 9/10 times too. LOL. It's really hard to actually right down proportions. I usually go by texture, consistency and/or visual appeal.